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An endangered group of cassowaries that survived a severe tropical cyclone almost two years ago may now have to fight disease brought on by the storm, an Australian biologist says.

Les Moore, a researcher at James Cook University, says the immediate impact of Cyclone Larry, which crossed the North Queensland coast in March 2006, was a large jump in cassowary deaths at Mission Beach.

But two years later he fears diseases such as avian tuberculosis may be spreading through the cassowary community near the coastal township, about 140 kilometres south of Cairns.

And in a paper yet to be published, Moore says natural disasters like Cyclone Larry double the chances of the isolated Mission Beach population dying out.

Cassowaries are an endangered species of flightless bird that are found in North Queensland and Papua New Guinea.

They can grow up to 2 metres tall, weigh up to 85 kilograms and run up to 50 kilometres per hour.

Moore says at least 18% of all adult and sub-adult cassowaries died in the 12 months after Cyclone Larry.

This compares with an average 3.7% a year across 20 years.

Moore also says all the dependent chicks disappeared and were presumed killed in the tropical cyclone, which brought winds up to 260 kilometres per hour.

He says the main causes of death after the cyclone were being hit by cars (70%) or being attacked by dogs (22%) as a lack of food in the rainforests sent the birds onto the roads and into residential areas looking for food.

Weakened birds may catch TB

But he says just three weeks ago a 48-year-old female cassowary died of what appears to be avian tuberculosis (TB).

Moore says cassowaries are particularly susceptible to an outbreak of avian tuberculosis because when they are hungry they search droppings for old fruit.

The avian TB bacilli can survive for up to seven years in soil, Moore says.

"Which means if a diseased bird is walking around there is a very good chance anyone revisiting droppings will get the disease."

He says the immune systems of cassowaries at Mission Beach have been weakened during the past two years by the lack of food and stress resulting from the impact of Cyclone Larry.

Moore is about to start a 12-month project examining how cassowaries use the roads with the aim of reducing road kills and developing a management plan.

As part of that he hopes to complete a disease load study to confirm the presence of avian TB.

Bats return

While the cassowary may still be suffering, another animal species hit by Cyclone Larry has bounced back from the natural disaster.

Just months after Larry hit, then CSIRO researcher Dr Louise Shilton appealed to the public for information on the whereabouts of tens of thousands of flying foxes that had gone missing.

Shilton says at its lowest point about 90% of the 250,000-strong bat population had disappeared.

But within 12 months most the flying foxes had returned in similar numbers and distribution.